At 22 years old, Rayful Edmond III, (second photo) headed a cocaine empire that generated $300 million dollars a year in Washington, D.C.. Illegal enterprises ran in his family. In the 50's and 60's older relatives ran a very lucrative numbers operation that would eventually lead to drugs.

Edmond paid his runners $1,000-$5,000 per week. One of his top runners was a 17-year-old boy who owned seven cars and was pulling in $20,000 per month.

When the police wanted to interview Edmond, he would arrive at the police station in a chauffeured driven limousine, draped in designer clothes and expensive bling, which included his favorite watch, valued at $300,000.

Edmond loved boxing and often traveled to Las Vegas in a leased jet to watch his favorite boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard demolish opponents.

After one of these championship fights, Edmond returned to his suite at the Hilton hotel where the Whispers were performing. In the lobby, he met a man named Melvin Butler who had the West Coast and Columbian drug connections that Edmond desired. The two would strike up an important partnership and friendship.

Around this time, Alonzo Mourning was a Georgetown sophomore who played center for the basketball team. He had also been named to the preseason All-America team of The Associated Press.

He was called to testify at the Federal drug trial of Rayful Edmond III, and 10 co-defendants.

Mourning testified that he made several visits to the home of Edmond and up to 10 visits to the home of another defendant, Jerry Millington. But he said he had not seen any drugs, large amounts of cash or drug paraphernalia at either home.

In visits to Millington's home in the fall of 1988 and early 1989, Mourning said, he and John Turner, a former Georgetown teammate who introduced Mourning to Edmond, watched sports events on television. Mourning said he stopped associating with Edmond after John Thompson, the Georgetown coach, warned the team against it earlier that year.

Mourning's brief association with Edmond and Millington didn't seem to affect his NBA career nor his endorsements. He was fortunate.

Edmond's two close friends ratted him out. One of them being a white woman named Alta Rae Zanville. No one could understand their friendship/relationship because Edmond was 23 and she was 48. He paid her in cocaine which enabled her to start her own business. She accumulated a Porsche, several minks, a beautiful house and a Mercedes. For her cooperation, the government didn't seize any of her property or jewels and granted her full immunity although they had arrested her earlier that week with several kilo's of cocaine in her possession. She was even paid $12,000 by the government and when the trial was over, they even paid her relocation expenses and gave her a new identity. Meanwhile, Edmonds other friend, a black male, who ratted him out, didn't get a sweetheart deal like Zanville. Instead, he was taken into custody and served a reduced sentence.

Edmond was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole.

Behind bars, between 1990-1994, Edmond continued to broker deals for the Medellin cartel until he was busted and sentenced to an additional 30 years.

Edmond turned government informant to reduce the sentence of his mother, who was also arrested. His information led to his mother's early release and several drug arrests.